WEDNESDAY
DAILY EGYPTIAN APRIL 3, 2013
DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM
SINCE 1916
VOLUME 98, ISSUE 119
Speak out against silence Syllabus
portal could be Staff, students: Early online access might help in class selection TREY BRAUNECKER Daily Egyptian
Education on diabetes’ dangers and food stamp programs giving more benefits for buying healthy foods could be ways to control the issue, he said. Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from defects in the body’s ability to produce and/or use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association website. There are three main types, but Type 1 and Type 2 are the most common forms, and about 90 percent of all diabetes cases are Type 2. The third type is gestational and affects only pregnant women. Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder where the pancreas produces very little or no insulin. People who develop Type 1 diabetes are usually under the age of 20, according to the website. People who develop Type 1 diabetes will have the disease for life, because the pancreas cells that produce insulin are destroyed, and they will need treatment in the form of insulin shots or an insulin pump.
As class registration continues, students could use some help steering clear of classes that could be more or less than they bargain for. Colleges nationwide, including John A. Logan, started an initiative to move course syllabuses online so students can view class information before registration. A USA Today College article highlighted the University of Miami, which could also add an online syllabus collection soon. The report showed college students who signed up for certain classes without any prior course knowledge were disappointed the material did not reflect what they expected, and they could use the syllabus to avoid classes that might not click with them. Although SIU has taken steps to give students class information before registration, some students and staff said an online syllabus collection would be helpful. Steven Esling, geology department chair, said while he has seen students drop geology classes for various reasons, students who drop after reviewing the syllabus hasn’t been much of an issue. The university makes syllabus information available to students who inquire, he said. “We have had that option for about 20 years or more, so students have always had access to the syllabus when they need it,” he said. “Now, whether they know it is here and try and take advantage of that is a different story. Students can always look at a syllabus and decide to drop a class if they want.” Syllabuses can be changed depending on what the teacher considers important course material. However, he said an online syllabuses initiative would be convenient for the student body, even with potential changes and the option for students to ask for them. “It would be more easy for students to access their class schedule, especially if it is all in one area,” he said. “I know there are some faculty who view their syllabus as intellectual property, and they do not want it to be public information, but I have not heard my faculty say they would be opposed to posting it online.” While the university has made syllabuses available for students through department offices, a different area college has taken its syllabuses online. Steve O’Keefe, John A. Logan College director of college relations, said his college’s online syllabus preview program has helped students gain better insight into classes and the material covered. He said the college’s online syllabus portal helps students learn what is expected of them for the semester as well as for any upcoming courses. “It is convenient, because students know what they need prior to taking the class,” he said. “It allows them to go ahead, get their textbooks and know their schedule before they even enter the classroom.” O’Keefe said the program has helped his college’s students, and several SIU students agreed such a program would also help them too. Michael Kowalenko, a junior from Palatine studying photojournalism, said classes can be overwhelming on the first day. He said the only insight he receives before enrolling in a particular course comes from friends who have taken it before.
Please see DIABETES | 3
Please see SYLLABUS | 3
NICOLE HESTER | DAILY EGYPTIAN
A student walks by the Women’s Center’s “We demand a rape-free campus” sexual assault awareness event Tuesday in the Faner breezeway. Jenn Freitag, a graduate student in speech communication and prevention educator from Carbondale, said the event was a great success. “We’ve had a lot of really great conversations about folks getting involved with volunteering, and people were engaged in the art project and activism project,” she said. Jennifer Buchanan, a senior from Chicago studying social work, said the event was a good idea and helped bring awareness to the issue. “This needs to be exposed, and it’s an ongoing issue,” Buchanan said. “Not a lot of people talk about it.” The Center’s next event will be the clothesline project at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Eurma Hayes Center in Carbondale.
Diabetes statistics raise lifestyle questions about area counties MATT DARAY Daily Egyptian Some statistics may lead several southern Illinois counties to rethink their diets. The Illinois Department of Public Health worked with the American Diabetes Association March 26 with Diabetes Alert Day to raise awareness about the disease, which exists in three types and affects nearly 10 percent of Illinois adults on. The most widespread diabetes cases exist in Alexander, Pulaski and Williamson counties, according to the two organizations’ statistics, and community officials weighed in on why these areas might have such high rates and how to prevent the state increase. Sabrina Miller, the university’s health department media contact, said in an email that data shows the high rate is probably linked to the state’s high obesity rate. “Consistent with the national trend, the diabetes trend in Illinois has been increasing since 1995 when the department began collecting prevalence data,” she said. “The increase may be linked to the rising trend of obesity in Illinois adults. Obesity in Illinois has risen from 16.7 percent of adults ... to 28.7 percent in 2010.” While it is unclear why diabetes is affecting the Alexander, Pulaski, and
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he increase may be linked to the rising trend of obesity in Illinois adults. Obesity in Illinois has risen from 16.7 percent of adults ... to 28.7 percent in 2010.
Williamson Counties more than other areas in the state, a university staff member said the problem might be linked to one’s diet. Jeremy Davis, an assistant professor in animal science food and nutrition, said he thinks the high diabetes rates might stem from the high obesity rate. “It’s really probably tightly related to the fact that a majority of the state is becoming overweight, ... and that has a real tight correlation between obesity and diabetes,” he said. Davis said diabetes and obesity can be prevented by having a healthy diet as well as and regular exercise. Although an individual might be more prone to developing diabetes because of family history, he said, it doesn’t mean they will get it. However, Davis said he or she must be more careful than the average person. The state could assist with diabetes prevention in some ways, he said, but the state isn’t pursuing prevention methods, given Illinois’ current budget problems.
— Sabrina Miller health department media contact